Meriden council authorizes city manager to apply for up to $4 million in EPA Brownfields money for 144 Pratt Street

Meriden — The City Council voted 12‑0 on Jan. 20 to authorize the city manager to apply for up to $4,000,000 in EPA Brownfields and Land Revitalization funds to clean up 144 Pratt Street.

Councilor LaRue Graham said the proposal followed a public hearing earlier in the evening and recommended adoption after a unanimous finance‑committee vote. The manager noted the city code repeal item that evening was separate but that the Brownfields request is intended to finish cleanup work at the Pratt Street site.

Public commenters raised questions about the scope and downstream costs of cleanup work. ‘‘Could this be something that you wanna seriously look at before going ahead?’’ asked Dan Zebrowski, who urged the council to consider whether additional contamination tied to past industrial use could expand costs beyond the grant award. John Malovanda asked whether the funds are restricted to 144 Pratt or could be applied elsewhere and suggested dollars might be redirected to other priorities such as the senior center.

A written submission from Dave Rausch, secretary of the Meriden Conservation Commission, urged support for the application and recommended giving the Conservation Commission an opportunity to participate in detailed plans, especially landscaping and the use of native plants to improve long‑term environmental value.

Councilors debated none of those concerns at length in the final motion; the roll call showed unanimous support, 12‑0. The authorization permits the city manager to pursue a Brownfields application up to $4 million; details about required matching funds, long‑term maintenance, or projected total cleanup costs were not specified at the meeting.

Council discussion and public comment record that additional technical work (including testing for hazardous materials) may be needed to determine final costs and scope. The council did not set conditions tied to a matching requirement or future appropriation and moved forward with the application authorization.

Next steps noted by councilors: the city manager is authorized to submit the application; technical analyses and project planning will be required if the grant advances, and additional council action would be needed for any appropriation or contract execution.